GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED
Just for fun, I’m going to randomly give away a copy of Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living – Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it 
Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living.
No purchase is necessary must be 18 years or older, and for shipping purposes, you must live in the United States (apologies to my non-American friends).
Any commenter can have up to 3 entries.
- Share your favorite household tip.
- Share your favorite Home-Ec 101 Recipe -I’ve posted hundreds over the past few years. I’m sure you can pick one.
- Share what brings you back to this site regularly.
That’s it, you don’t have to tweet it. I’m not asking you to share it on Facebook, Pinterest, or anything else.
I wouldn’t cry if you did.
I’ll pick a winner from the comments Sunday evening at 9 pm Eastern. If by chance I happen to crash early (it’s been known to happen, I’m THAT much fun). I’ll announce the winner Monday morning, but it will still only be chosen from entries submitted before Sunday, October 30, 2011, at 9 PM Eastern.
Oh, and if you would rather I send the book to your Kindle or Nook, I’m cool with that too.
PS, did you know even Target.com carries it? Kind of neat, huh?
PPS The winner, chosen at random, is: ” HSlater351 We love your recipe for “country-style cube steak.”
Well, my favorite household tip is how awesome vinegar is for cleaning. And I love that you introduced me to the barmaid’s friend (or whatever, you know what I mean…gold container). I’m so eloquent today. Try to keep up.
My favorite recipe…I have two, actually. I love your fried chicken recipe (which I think was actually shared by Bryan) and I love your etouffee recipe. 🙂
I come back regularly because you share interesting tips in a fun way. I love the way you respectfully respond to your reader questions….no condescension here.
My favorite household tip: clean out clutter early and often. 🙂
Also, I’m usually referred here by twitter.
I come back all the time for simple tips, presented by – and for – real people. Not women in magazines, not idealized housekeepers, but for us average women wanting to do things smarter, easier, and cheaper.
Favorite household tip – buy vinegar every time you find it on sale because you can use it for EVERYTHING! Cooling, cleaning, and preserving…. it is organicly amazing!
Favorite Home Ec 101 recipe (so far) – /lasagna/
What brings me back – the info that I find here about household cleaning, cooking, and maintenance is unparalleled!
My favorite tip? Get rid of something. Somehow, it is like the first glob out of the ketchup bottle & it gets easier once you start.
My favorite tip is clean the sink everyday
Love & Hugs,
Pam
Zombie references keep me coming back. That and your voice, sense of humor, and great way of explaining things.
My favorite tip is to add cornstarch to self shredded cheese to prevent sticking. I use that about twice a week 🙂
My favorite Home-ec101 recipe has to be the chicken marsala. Yum!
I keep coming back to this site because it really entertains me while also teaching me new things.
My favorite household tip: do dishes or fold laundry while you’re talking on the phone. Great way to make those chores go faster.
My favorite recipe: /cool-as-a-cucumber-2-quick-and-easy-cucumber-salad-recipes/
Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad!!!
I keep coming back for the practical advice. 🙂
If you get deodorant on your shirt, just rub the cloth against itself. The deodorant will rub off. I use this one all the time! Also – a great organizational tip, hang a shoe organizer on the back of your pantry door to hold loose and small items. It’s great for breakfast bars, icings, chocolate chips, and other baked goods!
I subscribe to this site through google reader – so I keep coming back because of the daily updates! And the updates are always useful, informative, and entertaining. I loved home-ec in middle school, but never did much else to enhance my home skills. Now that I’m married, I have a huge urge to learn more and keep my home better – which this site helps me do!
My favorite household tip is to just do something. As a recovering perfectionist, I tend to not do anything until I can do the job completely and perfectly. My house looks better though when I just do something instead of waiting until I can do it all.
By far our favorite Home-Ec 101 recipe is what we call “crack and cheese” (aka stovetop mac and cheese).
I’m a google reader reader, so the notification that pops up in my reader is what brings me back. Ha! And I love the tips. I need the practical advice!
Household tip: when I leave clothes in the washing machine too long and they start to smell funky, I wash them again in vinegar in the machine and they are freshened up!
I subscribe to this site’s updates because I keep learning all the household stuff my mom tried to teach me and either I forgot or wasn’t listening!
My favorite is hydrogen peroxide gets blood out of fabric (ER nurse shared that with me!) carrie dot hare @gmail.com
I like organization tips, and just general reassurance I’m not the only one still learning!
I like The ‘Ultimate’ Fried Chicken Recipe
You have lots of great household tips. One I found useful was “How to Use Rubbing Alcohol Safely”
What brings me back? Basic tips on keeping a household – but your tips aren’t generic like a lot of other household blogs I’ve read.
I subscribe to the RSS because I have a lot to learn about most things related to keeping my family and my home running. 🙂
Favorite tip…using corn starch to soak up a grease spot on fabric.
I come to this site daily because I learn so much from you, would love to have all this information in one nice little book 🙂
Lining your refrigerator crisper drawer with newspapers keeps your veggies nice and crisp.
The cheddar-cauliflower bites from September of this year.
What brings me back to your site is the friendly way you teach basic information. I still live at home with my mother and really need/ needed a Home Ec 101 to even hope to be able to keep house. And I get to help my mother more.
Not in the running for this since I already have it ::grin:: but just wanted to say, if y’all don’t win, you totally need to buy this book. I bought it for my NOOK and you’d be surprised how many times I’ve referred back to it since then.
And while you’re at it, consider buying a few extra copies as well. This would make a wonderful gift for a college student or newlywed.
Your chicken marsala recipe is to DIE FOR. My family begs for it!
My favorite household tip is to get into a routine and keep up with it. Wiping down the kitchen counters every night is MUCH easier than trying to get through a week’s worth of grime on your Saturday!
I love all the handy little tips. Things I never thought about to modify my cleaning routine and be more effective/faster.
Use a mixture of salt and vinegar to instantly polish copper clad pans, or any copper for that matter. Be careful if you have sensitive skin, though.
My best tip is using baking soda to clean in the kitchen. I really love how it cleans the inside of crockpots and I know it is safe.
I love the spahetti sauce you recently shared. It was really good and not hard at all.
I keep coming back for the common sense helpful ideas. (Actually, I don’t have to come back, it comes to my e-mail which I love!
My tip is Put it away NOW. I have finally learned that if I dont , whatever “it” is will multiply and I’ll have even more to put away or my son will put it away where he thinks it belongs and I then get to play hide and seek. Autism is such fun sometimes!
my favorite recipe of yours is Chicken Gumbo
I keep coming back because I am woefully inept at homemaking.
My household tip would be to clean as you go while cooking! It really makes a difference! Not sure if that’s a tip or not 🙂 Also vinegar has so many uses it’s insane! I also drink apple cider vinegar daily for heartburn! I also love the Banana Muffins recipe on here, yummy!! What brings me back to this site is it’s just plain awesome! So informative!! I also love the retro pictures!
My tip is to do just a little laundry every day. It only takes a few minutes of dedicated attention per day (less than 10 minutes a day, for me), and the laundry never piles up!
My favorite recipe is the baked potato soup, especially now that the days are getting cooler!
I keep coming back because this site is full of useful information, but it’s presented with a bit of sass. I love the sass!
I keep coming back because I’m on the mailing list, and its fantastic! This is one of my favorite new blogs!
My favorite tip? I don’t know if this has been posted, but when baking soda doesn’t work to clean something, turn it into washing soda! Just spread the baking soda thin on an old cookie sheet, and put it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Do NOT eat!
As for my favorite recipe, my girlfriend and I just made the apple cider oatmeal yesterday morning, and it is FANTASTIC!!!
Favorite household tip: Make sure the kitchen is clean and everything put away before you go to bed. There’s nothing better than waking up and coming in to a clean kitchen to start your day. (There’s also nothing worse than waking up and coming in to a dirty kitchen with a sink full of stinky dishes and stuff all over the counter.)
Favorite Home-Ec 101 Recipe: Country fried steak! Comfort food… /country-fried-steak/
Why I keep coming back: You mean besides the obsession thing, right? There’s just a lot of good common sense here that they don’t teach in school anymore, and that everyone needs to know!
My favorite household tip is while cleaning along baseboards a butter knife works well to get things out right along the baseboard/carpet line. Vacuums don’t get that close to the wall & it drives me nuts when I see something it’s missed along the baseboards so about ten yrs ago I grabbed the only thing I could think of and I still use a butter knife to to the job.
I don’t know if I can choose just one. Hmmm lets see for starters those banana muffins, the Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts because I love the simplicity of it which leaves you with all flavor (yum) and your sloppy joes recipes.
I love coming back for your recipes and all of your great tips. If there is something I do not know how to do that involves cooking, cleaning or certain techniques this is the place I go to find it!
Keep up with the dishes… it seams to make the rest of the house a lot easier to tackle.
/oven-baked-chimichangas-sure-why-not/ We love this quick meal.
All the great house hold tips and recipes. That is what keeps me coming back 🙂
do at least 1 thing to improve the condition of the house every day. even if it’s small. it all adds up.
i love the guacamole recipe!
what keeps me coming back? the wide range of tips and advice. it’s not all just cleaning or cooking or organizing. there’s always something new to learn.
1. Favorite household tip is probably vinegar. Seriously. Just diluted vinegar for cleaning almost everything.
3. I keep coming back because I know there will always be something useful. I may not need the day’s post right away, but will likely use the info eventually!
2. I haven’t had the chance to try any of your recipes yet, but I think I am most excited about: /scalloped-turnips-and-rutabaga-a-seasonal-fearless-friday/ The scalloped turnips and rutabaga dish
::Not an entry:: My favorite tip is to keep a couple of microfiber wash clothes in a mild bleach solution within easy reach in the kitchen to wipe, prevent stains, and disinfect on the go. I repurposed an old plastic shoe box and change the solution daily. I use Linen bleach from Dollar General because it has a very mild smell and doesn’t tear my hands up from occasional brief contact (I wear rubber gloves for more extended cleaning). The technique is simple, when a mess is made, wipe up any big chunks with hands or oily mess with a paper towel and throw away, then grab a bleach towel, wring it out over its container, and wipe – I do this several times during meal prep. Rinse the towel if needed and put back into the bleach. The bleach cleans the towel for the next use. After each meal, wipe down the whole kitchen and dry with a dry microfiber towel (this one gets rotated into the cleaning solution later on). I’ve found that this solution is also great for preventing aerosol grease buildup, and after frying something, I’ll run a towel over everywhere grease tends to settle – I haven’t had to do a major degreasing since. This really transformed how I clean the kitchen, made it much quicker, and removed the ick factor almost entirely.
@KeterMagick I like this tip! I have babies around and I’ve been using the Bleach Wipes, but they are expensive and I use so many of them…thanks for sharing! I’ve got a diaper wipe box that would be perfect to use to store the solution. 🙂
@hotmama2u79@gmail.com@KeterMagick @Hotmama ~ check the ingredients of your “bleach” wipes….they may have no bleach in them at all!
I never had home ec in school, budget cuts you know. I am learning so much about how to keep a house running. Invaluable information. Thanks!
1. My favorite household tip is after you leave an area, check the area and clean it up. Another favorite is to make sure the kitchen is clean before you go to bed; it’s better to clean it after dinner. My final favorite tip is to make your bed first thing in the morning; it just gets the day off to a great start : )
2. My favorite recipe that I can’t wait to try is the Cinnamon Rolls. My grandma-in-law was going to teach me her recipe but didn’t get the chance. Your recipe looks melt in your mouth delicious : )
3. What keeps me coming back is I love all the variety of info you share, and I can use all the help I can get ; )
1. Favorite household tip: the many uses of vinegar as a cleaning solution. And one I’d like to add in case it’s not here already: Using newspaper, instead of paper towels or rags, to wipe windows clean.
@MMG I stopped buying paper towels because of the expense and for eco reasons. My Grandmother suggested using newspaper… I love them so much better they doesn’t leave as many streaks and I’m recycling! Now when I’m done reading the paper I roll it up and stick in my cleaning caddy.
@hotmama2u79@gmail.com You are absolutely right! Really no streaking that I’ve seen and we’re being “green” with our reuse of a household item! Makes me feel a little better about receiving the paper daily.:)
@MMG You can also buy newspaper without print on it directly from a local newspaper. They usually sell HUGE “end rolls” for just a couple of bucks. Also great for wrapping china, etc. to package because the ink won’t stain items. I am going to buy a roll when we move! Also good for art projects (draw around your kids sometime when its raining…they will love it!), decorate it yourself gift wrap and to copy or create sewing patterns. The stuff is awesome!….and SO CHEAP!
2. Recipe: your Sloppy Joe’s are a hit in my household!!
3. Keeps me checking back: the clean, simple, layout of your website. Love, love that it is easy to navigate, not filled with tons of decorative distractions that keep me away from my household chores and responsibilities, and… also love the recipe directory!
1. I use vinegar or orange oil mixed with water to keep the cat off the counters!
2. Sausage, peppers and onions= delicious, and we had it for dinner last night!
3. I like having HE101 in my google reader, because I keep learning new things. 😉
My favorite tip is to keep a roll of new garbage bags in the bottom of the cans. When you lift out a full bag it’s easy to replace it! (I noticed this at a hotel many years ago and couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it!)
We love your recipe for country style cube steak. /country-style-cube-steak/
@HSlater351 Congratulations! Your comment was chosen at random for the book. Send me your shipping address and I’ll get the book in the mail to you.
@HeatherSolos
I found two emails for you. I sent an email with my address to: Heather@Home-Ec101.com Thank you so much, Heather!
@HSlater351 I got it, thank you!
@HeatherSolos
The book arrived safely. Thank you so much for sharing it with me!
1. My favorite household tip is when washing bedding take the fitted sheet out of the wash and put it on the mattress wet, it dries in a snap, smells yummy, doesn’t dry with wrinkles and is so much easier to put on without tugging and breaking nails! 2. Sloppy Joes 3. I love that you share new and interesting hints and are so knowledgeable about them, other sites just seem to be the same tips over and over… I love this site!
I love your simple easy to implement ideas: cutting dryer sheets in half would have never occurred to me, but since I read it on your site I’ve been doing it.
my best tip: combine equal parts of baking soda and borax for a make at home dishwasher detergent. Use 2T per load. It cleans great and is super thrifty
I’ve tried several of your recipes, but the favorite is the alfredo sauce. Super quick and delish!!
LOVE what you do Heather!!
I’m a recent Home Ec visitor. I was directed here by a friend sharing a post she read. Since then, I’ve quite enjoyed coming back to discover new tips, particularly for cleaning. I often feel overwhelmed or too tired to stay on top of cleaning the way I should, and I’ve found tips here to make the tasks seem less daunting.
Most useful: how detergents work in the washer!
I keep coming back because you do so much thorough research- I know I’m not going to get a home-ec urban legend here.
Don’t know if it’s actually my favorite, but I made the Greek pasta salad after seeing it on your site and it was a huge hit!
I really enjoy reading all the household tips here, from cleaning to recipes. So much to learn!
I really like the broccoli cheddar frittata recipe. simple and yummy!
my favorite household tip is to use vinegar for cleaning…i didn’t know how versatile it is!
I got hooked googling “iron care”. LOVE the down to earth, real advice and insights. But most of all, my family loves your recipe for the lowly radish: Hard Boiled Egg and Radish. Literally, the kids clamor for it in their lunch boxes. I never thought so simple would be so easy….thanks for the great site.
I keep coming back because you write great science-based explanations of how common household things work. When I need to know how to clean a certain type of stain, or what’s going on in the washer, I want to hear a no-nonsense solution from somebody who understands real chemistry. A lot of other sites give questionable advice with no explanation other than “this is the way I’ve always done it,” or they use sciencey-sounding words that don’t really mean anything.
My favorite tip is the introduction to plungers. I never knew that there were two different types: one for toilets, and one for sinks and tubs. When I was growing up, we only had sink-type plungers in the house. It makes a huge difference!
what keeps me coming back is being signed up on the elist. I love to get that message, and even if days go by and i can’t get to them, when I read them they always have some great tip or recipe that I simply must come on the site and read the comments! 🙂
A recipe I plan to try tonight is a modified version of the apple cider oatmeal. Can’t wait, adn I’ll use up the quite fermented raw apple cider languishing in the fridge.
My favorite household tip: keep a small jar of baking soda near the sink, to help with especially greasy cleanups in the dishwater. I just sprinkle a bit on the sponge and the residue is much easier to remove from pots, spoons, etc.
What keeps me coming back are the handy tips! I feel like I am still learning this home-ec thing and with two little ones as well as a concern about too much funky smelly cleaning things I love the gentler mess ridding suggestions here!
My favorite household tip, like the past commenter, is about baking soda: I pour a generous layer (about an inch or so) in the bottom of my plastic garbage can in the kitchen. It helps with odors, and it catches smaller, smelly leaks. I change it when it gets lumpy, discolored, or smelly. A quick wipe with a AP cleaner sprayed paper towel along the sides of the trashcan as needed when changing the bag leaves me a non-sticky, non-smelly trash can. I can’t remember the last time I needed to scrub the trash can.
Worried about spraying pesticides in your home? Especially around children and pets? One tip I’ve been using for years, especially when you have a pretty nasty fruit fly invasion, is beer or red whine.
In a glass, made of REAL glass, put approx 4 oz of beer or red wine. Top with plastic wrap, stretching it tight across the opening. With a wooden skewer, pop 6-8 small holes in the tight plastic. Set amongst the fruit flies and within 2 days, you will see the population diminish rapidly. Make sure you wash the dishes, and empty the trash to a trash can that is outside. The fruit flies crawl into the little holes, and can’t get back out! No one said they were brain surgeons!
Of course, in my post, above, I meant to type “wine” instead of “whine.” But the hubby was whining and, oh, well, a Freudian slip!
I love it for the communal company of women and the things useful to them. It reminds me of my long gone mother and aunts, neighbor ladies who were like aunts, showing me how they cooked, cleaned, kept house, and loved making it nice. The canning, folding sheets under bed, where to pick the wild strawberries, and the smiles on their faces.
I love the tip for dealing with mildew (/how-to-deal-with-mildew-in-a-front-loading-washer/) in the frontloading washer. I have been able to vanquish most of it because of this article!
My favorite recipe is the Last minute bean and corn salad (/last-minute-bean-and-corn-salad-recipe/.) I have made this at least 3 times a month since I found it last spring, and it lends itself to all sorts of great variations based on what I’ve got on hand. Points for being uber healthy, too!
Why do I keep coming back? The info, the humor, the humanity of the author who is as imperfect as the rest of us, but perfect because of that!
I found this site over a year ago and check it religiously. I particularly love the cleaning tips as well as the recipes. I now use vinegar for much of my household cleaning and I love the chili honey chicken thighs recipe!
My favorite cleaning tip is using vinegar 🙂 So simple, but amazing!
My favorite recipe is Chipotle Mayonnaise 🙂
I check your site regularly because my 18 year old daughter wants to move out soon. Since she won’t listen to Mom (you know, I don’t know ANYTHING!) your site gives such great tips! 🙂
My favorite household tip is to use matchless-socks as dust rags.
I keep coming back here because it inspires me to get off the couch and get cleaning!
I loved the apple cider oatmeal recipe!
My favorite tip is the weekly chore schedule.
The weekly chore schedule is my favorite tip. It helped me get organized.
My favorite recipe was the mediterranean beef pitas – especially the Tzatziki sauce (cucumber and greek yogurt).
The useful house cleaning and laundry tips bring me back to the site regularly. I look forward to reading the weekly bulletin.
The house cleaning and laundry tips bring me back to the site regularly. I look forward to the weekly email bulletin.
#1 My favorite household tip is: Don’t leave a room empty-handed.
#2 My favorite Home-Ec101 recipe is: Easy Greek Pasta Salad making your own dressing.
#3 (I come back to this site for so many reasons that it is hard to choose one!) I love that Heather really knows what she is teaching to others. She researches all the answers and even tells us why pancakes rise! I love that Heather (and her cohorts!) don’t play silly games and are teaching us while entertaining us, too! 3a. I love that she answers my questions!…and doesn’t make me feel like an idiot, either! 3b. I love that she loves Bar Keepers Friend and reminds us all the time that she gets NO kickbacks from them…its just a product she loves. 3c. I love getting the newsletter in my inbox! 3d. Okay…now I haven’t EXACTLY followed the directions because I have too many answers here…maybe I will be forgiven! 😉
…the dressing for the pasta salad is THE BOMB! 😉
….the sense of community here is like no where else! :0)
….She must have hit the hay early…. See you all tomorrow!
@deneicer1 Yep, I went to jared smith ‘s wedding on Saturday, raced home on Sunday for a very full day of family stuff after staying up way too late and getting up too early. Yes, I was happily in bed at 9pm. 🙂